Dörthe Hagenguth February 20, 2012

Dörthe Hagenguth (b.1966, Germany) has been a freelance photographer since 2004. She travels extensively and has been to Brazil, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala and repeatedly to Eastern Europe. While studying economics and geography she worked as a coach in a children’s circus, a travel guide and flight attendent. After studying photojournalism at MAZ, the Swiss School of Journalism, she worked for several months as a photojournalist for Nicaragua’s national newspaper La Prensa”, based in Managua. Her work has been published in Brigitte, Financial Times Deutschland, Greenpeace Magazin, National Geographic Deutschland and Stern among others. Dörthe is represented by Agentur Focus and is based in Hamburg, Germany.

About the Photograph:

“I met Leonie and Ellen in Hamburg by accident while I was doing a reportage about a young show jumper for GEOlino at the German equestrian jump and dressage Derby. They came out of the stable with their horses and I liked how they where talking about situations in their competition. They are 13 years old and normally don’t dress equal. But these equestrian sports have very traditional rules. Leonie was a little bit sad because her pony didn’t want to walk backwards for the dressage exam. Right in front of the scoring judge she put herself on the backward legs and Leonie had to work hard not to fall from the horseback. That was not the plan! Ellen tried to comfort her sister. It was touching to see. They compete against each other but the next moment they cooperate.”

“They were an eye catcher. Twins doing the same sport with more or less the same success, because to be on that competition, you have to qualify through certain other competitions.Twins for me are a little bit like a secret. The first impulse is to expect that they are equal in almost everything, only because of the visual equality. And then, when I talked to them I realized their two personalities, different and autonomous. But this photo follows my first impulse! They must be a secret connection between them, because they like the same infrequent sport, do it with the same verve and success.”

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Photographer and photo editor Geoffrey Hiller has created Verve Photo to feature photographs and interviews by the finest contemporary image makers today. Verve Photo is a reminder of the power of the still image. Verve Photo will also point you to new photo agencies, publications, and inspiring multimedia projects.